Band knife severing machine



Oct. 11, 1955 L. H. LocKwooD "ET m. 2,720,230

BAND KNIFE SEVERING MACHINE Filed July 3, 1953 INVENTOR LOUIS H. LOCKWOOD HENRY M. YOHN Fr wmv fw ATTORNEY United States Patent BAND KNIFE SEVERING' MACHINE Lonis= Hi Lockwood; Rohrerstovvn; and Henry ML Yolin, Lancaster, Pa., EISSlBHOXS'IO AXHISlTOHg Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa'., a' corporation? 06 Pennsylvania Application July 3, 1953, SerialNo. 365,942

3' Claims. (Cli 144 -175) This invention relates to a band'knife-severing machine and is concerned more particularly witl-Lthe splitting of pieces from mats or blocks of' cork composition. Machines for splitting mats of cork composition into sheets or slabs are illustrated in our Patent No. 2,670,771 and in- Yohn Ratent No. 2,670,768. The. machine of the present'invention is generally similar to that shown in our Patent No. 2,670,771 in that it is ofthe band knife type andmay include a reciprocating carriage to convey the meter block to be split into and through the cutting zone of" the travelling band knife and also includes supporting tables in advance and to the rear of the cuttingzone, upon which tables. the mat lies asit is reciprocated by, the carriage, the feed table in advance of the cuttingzone being, adjustable with respect to the cutting edge of the band knife in its cuttingzone to determine the thickness of the sheet or slab severed from the mat.

In machines of the. bandknife-and reciprocating carriage type, particularly where the knife is not supported by rigid guiding jaws inthe cutting-'zone, the thrust of the-mat bcingurged into cutting; relationship withv the band knife:causes the knife to depart from a plan'e' parallel to themat-supporting surface of the feed table, resulting in the severance of a sheet: or slab which is thicker along one longitudinal'edge'than the other. This variation inthickness, which difiersdependingupon the type of: corkcomposition beingasliced'a'nd the thickness of. thepieces:beingsevered from themat, is objectionable. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a splitting machine including an arrangement for adjusting the plane of the path of travel of the band knife in the severing zone with respect to the plane of the feed table to compensate for deviation of the band knife from a plane in its cutting zone which is parallel to the plane of the feed table during material severance.

Other objects of the invention will be obvious from consideration of an embodiment of the invention which will be described in conjunction with the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of part of a splitting machine of the type disclosed in our Patent No. 2,670,771 incorporating the features of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device of Figure 1.

In both views, the carriage, knife drive, and other elements which are conventional in our Patent No. 2,670,771 have been removed for the sake of clarity.

The device comprises a band knife 2 which is trained to run on knife wheels 3 and 4 which are journalled in bearings 5 and 6. The bearings are mounted on a rigid knife-supporting frame 7, with bearing 5 being mounted on a carriage 8 slidable along ways 9 and 10. A hydraulic ram arrangement 11, carried by frame 7, is provided for adjusting the position of the carriage 8 to increase or decrease the tension on the band knife 2 through motion of knife wheel 3 with respect to knife wheel 4.

A band knife guide 12 which may be similar to that guiding, arrangement is carried by the knife-supporting frame 7- and is mounted on an auxiliary frame 13-14.

A reciprocating, carriage arrangement such as shown in our Patent No. 2,670,771 may be provided for conveying a block of material to be-split into engagement with the band knife2 in the splitting. zone of its horizontal run defined by the knife-guide arrangement 12. The carriage is arranged to convey the block to be split overa table 15'- preferably formed of rolls, which table extends to the front and to the rear of the bandknife in two sections, 15a a feed tablesection and 15b a delivery section, the two serving to support fully the block as it moves into and through the cutting zone where a sectionis severed from the lower surface-of the block. A gauge bar- 16- extendstransversely of the machine in the cutting zone and iscarried by the supporting framework for thefeed table section 15a.

An arrangement is provided in accordance with the present invention for adjusting the band' knife and its knife-guiding arrangement and its associated framework and auxiliary equipment with respect to the supporting table and its framework andauxiliary equipment to insure the desired relationship between the general plane of thev block-supporting, surfaces of thefeed tablesection and the gauge bar and the plane of the band knife in its run between the jaws of the knife guide. If it is desired to split a sheetof uniform thickness from a rectangular block of material, the plane of the cuttingedge of. the band knife in the cuttingzoneshould parallelthe plane of the feedtable section and gauge bar in advance thereof but should be disposed thereabove a distance equal to the thickness of the portion to be split from the block. The table-and gauge bar adjusting mechanism of our Patent No. 2,670,771 may be incorporated to provide for such movement. In addition to this adjustment, however, according to our present invention, an arrangement is provided for adjusting the angular relationship of the band knife in its flat run in the cutting zone with resp'ectto the general plane of the gauge barand feedtable to compensate for-that deviation of the band knife from a plane in its cutting zone which is parallel to the plane of the feed table and gauge bar which occurs during material severance.

This adjustment may be provided by mounting the knife-supporting frame 7 in pivots 17 journalled in bearings 18 and 19 mounted on a main frame 20 for the machine, which also carries the supporting framework for the mat-supporting table 15 as indicated diagrammatically by the chain lines C. Pairs of screw jacks 21 and 22 are fastened to the knife-supporting frame 7, and their screws 23 and 24 project downwardly and lie in engagement with framework 25 connected to the main frame 20. Locking nuts 26 and 27 are provided for holding the screws in adjusted position.

Assuming the band knife 2 to be moving in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 2 and the mat 28 to be moving through the cutting zone in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1, the tendency will be for the knife to be elevated from the feed table 15a along an upwardly inclined path from the longitudinal edge 29a to the edge 2%, resulting in the severance of a sheet of slightly wedge shape. The degree of deviation from the plane of the feed table will vary as mentioned above. For instance, with a light-density cork composition with a glue-glycerine binder the deviation will be different than with a dense cork flooring tile composition with a resin binder.

In operation of the device, when inspection indicates that the sheet being severed is not of the desired uniform thickness, locking nuts 26 and 27 are loosened and adjustment of screws 23 and 24 effected. This results in pivoting of band knife and its associated frame and supporting mechanism about axially aligned pivots 17 secured to the main frame 20 of the machine, to which frame 20, the table 15 and its supporting framework are also secured. This provides for pivotal adjustment of the band knife to take care of deviations from the desired uniform thickness of sheet or slab being severed. After adjustment has been made, locking nuts 26 and 27 are drawn up to hold the unit in adjusted position.

It will be observed by reference to Figure 2 that a line drawn perpendicular to the fiat run of the band knife 2 in its cutting zone and passing through the axis of pivots 17 will substantially bisect the cutting zone. This has been indicated by the dotted line D in Figure 2. Figure 2 also shows that a horizontal line drawn through the axes of wheel shafts in bearings 5 and 6 will lie substantially parallel to the plane of the worksupporting surface of gauge bar 16 which, as mentioned above, is coincident with the general plane of the feed table a. Reference to Figure 1 will show that the axis of the pivots 17 lies in a plane below but substantially parallel to the general plane of the band knife in its fiat run. This relationship insures that pivotal movement of the band knife supporting frame and the elements carried by it about the pivots 17 will result in the desired tilting motion of the knife wheels 3 and 4 to bring the band knife in its flat run in the cutting zone into a position where the normally encountered deviation from a plane parallel to the plane of the gauge bar which occurs in material severance will be compensated for, and a sheet or slab of uniform thickness will be severed from the mat.

We claim:

1. In a band knife severing machine, the combination of: a band knife, means for mounting said band knife for movement in a closed path with a substantially flat run in a cutting zone, a framework supporting said knifemounting means, a Work-supporting table disposed adjacent to said cutting zone along which a piece to be severed may be moved into and through said cutting zone, a main frame supporting said table, means pivoting the framework for said knife-mounting means to said main frame, and means disposed between said main frame and said framework for adjusting the relationship between said band knife in its fiat run in said cutting zone and said work-supporting table by pivotal movement of said framework about said pivoting means.

2. In a band knife severing machine, the combination of: a band knife, means for mounting said band knife for movement in a closed path with a substantially flat run in a cutting zone, a framework supporting said knifemounting means, a work-supporting table disposed adjacent to said cutting zone along which a piece to be severed may be moved into and through said cutting zone, a main frame supporting said table, means pivoting the framework for said knife-mounting means about an axis disposed substantially parallel to the general plane of said band knife in its flat run and disposed substantially midway transversely of said cutting zone, and screw jacks disposed between said main frame and said framework for adjusting the relationship between said band knife in its flat run in said cutting zone and said worksupporting table by pivotal movement of said framework about said pivoting means.

3. In a band knife severing machine, the combination of a band knife trained over knife wheels for movement in a substantially flat run in a cutting zone, a supporting framework upon which said wheels are carried, means for guiding said knife in said fiat run, a work-supporting table disposed in said cutting zone, with the general plane of the work-supporting surface thereof lying substantially parallel to the general plane of said flat run of said knife, means for pivoting said framework about an axis substantially parallel to the general plane of said knife in said flat run to tilt the plane of the axes of said knife wheels with respect to said work-supporting surface and compensate for deviation of said knife in said cutting zone from a plane substantially parallel to the general plane of said work-supporting surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 349,992 Goodwin Sept, 28, 1886 406,225 Metz July 2, 1889 502,887 Griffin Aug. 8, 1893 629,849 Fitzgerald Aug. 1, 1899 1,038,272 Biertuempfel Sept. 10, 1912 1,132,238 Bogdantfy Mar. 16, 1915 1,603,583 Crawford Oct. 19, 1926 2,524,016 Hall Sept. 26, 1950 

